Police and Dog Encounters: Chicago Police Department
March 2014
Voiceover: Beat Intro
00:00
This is the Beat—a podcast series that keeps you in the know about the latest community policing
topics facing our nation.
Barry Bratburd
00:08
Hello, my name is Barry Bratburd and, on behalf of the COPS Office, I’d like to introduce you to
Commander James Roussell of the Chicago Police Department. Commander Roussell is the executive
officer for area central and is here to discuss tactics when an officer encounters a dog while on duty.
Commander, what signs can officers look for that indicate a dog is present other than the typical
“Beware of Dog” sign?
James Roussell
00:35
I think there’s a lot of signs. The officers, I think, look for these things all the time anyway. It’s dog
feces, water bowls, dog bowls, chew toys, holes being dug in the yard. There’s a variety of things to be
looking for. I think the issue here is that even though they’re cognizant of what they’re seeing, then
they’re processing that information maybe a little bit differently.
Barry
01:01
Now if the officer knows there’s a dog present and the dog is not charging at the officer, how should
the officer approach the dog and, if there’s an owner present, what should the officer ask the owner
to do with the dog?
James
01:14
I think the first part is to ask the owner to take control of the animal before the officer enters into the
space. Second, if there isn’t any owner present, the best way to go is not directly at the animal
because then the dog feels threatened and the dog responds accordingly. It’s just taking into those
different dynamics in those first couple of seconds when you’re entering a location.
Barry
01:40
If the owner is present, is there anything you might want to ask the owner to do?
James
01:45
Yeah, I think the best thing to do is to take charge of the animal. The officer is going to be there for
some sort of police purpose. You don’t want to get too distracted from whatever that police purpose
is. Getting the owner to work with you in a partnership to make it a safe environment is a critical first
step.
Barry
02:05
If the dog is charging, what tools can the officer use to protect him or herself before employing a gun?
James
02:13
Yeah, all the other use of force models and steps. You may go through those steps very quickly, but
you should know ahead of time that you’ve got them. You’ve got distance, you’ve got barriers—close
the door, close the date—and then you have some of the other models that you have, like an OC
spray. A dog’s going to be far more sensitive to the OC spray than a person is anyway. All of those
things are tools that you can be using before you go to deadly force with a weapon.
Barry
02:45
Now, what partnerships should law enforcement develop to help with dog encounters and to protect
the safety of the officer, the dog, and the community?
James
02:54
I think this is a wonderful topic to discuss at different community meetings to get the support of the
community to discuss it. It could even serve as a complaint about dogs, which makes it so that we
could do a better job when we arrive on the scene. The local vets, the local care shelters, who we find
are very anxious to create partnerships with the police so that we just have to take that next step and
reach out to them ahead of time so that we can do a better job.
Barry
03:29
Great. Well, on behalf of the COPS Office, I’d like to thank you for your time today. We appreciate
having you on, and thanks for talking about this important topic with us.
James
03:38
Thank you.
Voiceover: Beat Exit
03:40
The Beat was brought to you by the United States Department of Justice, COPS Office. The COPS
Office helps to keep our nation’s communities safe by giving grants to law enforcement agencies,
developing community policing publications, developing partnerships, and solving problems.
Voiceover: Disclaimer
03:56
The opinions contained herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official
position or polices of the U.S. Department of Justice. References to specific agencies, companies,
products, or services should not be considered an endorsement by the authors or the U.S.
Department of Justice. Rather, the references are illustrations to supplement discussion of the issues.